Misplaced Pages

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118-743: It was a derivative of the Gewehr 98 or Mauser Model 1898, produced in violation of the Treaty of Versailles . It featured combined features of the Karabiner 98AZ and Gewehr 98 versions. The barrel was only 600 mm (23.6 in)-long, comparable to the barrel of the Karabiner 98AZ . The rifle had a new iron sight line, with a tangent rear sight graduated from 100 m (109 yd) to 2,000 m (2,187 yd), with 50 m (55 yd) increments. The rear sight element could be modified to match

236-636: A Karabiner 98k type slot in the butt to attach the sling. The rifle was exported in 7×57mm Mauser , 7.65×53mm Mauser and 7.92×57mm Mauser. A carbine version, identical to the Karabiner 98k , was also produced. The Standardmodell of 1924 was used by the SA and the SS and was exported to China and South America. According to the manufacturer, the Model 1933 rifle was only sold to the Deutsche Reichspost ,

354-437: A receiver that serves as the system's shroud and a bolt group of which the bolt body has three locking lugs, two large main lugs at the bolt head and a third safety lug at the rear of the bolt, which serves as a backup in case the primary locking lugs failed. This third lug is a distinctive feature and was not present on previous Mauser bolt-action designs. The two main locking lugs are positioned opposed to each other and display

472-464: A "cock on open" system. Although this bolt system has been rarely used in commercial sporting rifles (the Vostok brand target rifles being the most recognized) and has never been exported outside of Russia, although large numbers of military surplus Mosin–Nagant rifles have been sporterized for use as hunting rifles in the following years since the end of World War II. The Swing was developed in 1970 in

590-555: A bolt-action shotgun, albeit one designed to be attached to an M16 rifle or M4 carbine using an underbarrel mount (although with the standalone kit, the MASS can become a standalone weapon). Mossberg 12-gauge bolt-action shotguns were briefly popular in Australia after the 1997 changes to firearms laws , but the shotguns themselves were awkward to operate and had only a three-round magazine, thus offering no practical or real advantages over

708-512: A chopping tool as well as a weapon. Towards the end of World War I, the 250 mm (9.8 in) blade Seitengewehr 84/98 was introduced as an economy measure and because the longer models were impractical in narrow trenches; this model became standard issue during the Weimar Republic and Third Reich . Serrated, saw-backed versions of the standard patterns intended to be used as tools were carried by German Pioniere ( pioneers ). In

826-403: A controlled round feed bolt-action the cartridge case may not be cleanly ejected and a jam may result. The bolt houses the firing pin mechanism that cocks when the bolt is opened, and the cocking piece protrudes visually and tactilely from the rear of the bolt to indicate the action is cocked. A cocking shroud lock that was not present on previous Mauser bolt-action designs was added. The distance

944-410: A conventional double-barreled shotgun. Some pistols use a bolt-action system, although this is uncommon, and such examples are typically specialized hunting and target handguns. Most of the bolt-action designs use a rotating bolt (or "turn pull") design, which involves the shooter doing an upward "rotating" movement of the handle to unlock the bolt from the breech and cock the firing pin , followed by

1062-475: A firing mechanism without a hammer , but there are some hammer-fired models, such as the Merkel Helix. Firearms using a hammer usually have a comparably longer lock time than hammerless mechanisms. In the sport of biathlon , because shooting speed is an important performance factor and semi-automatic guns are illegal for race use, straight pull actions are quite common and are used almost exclusively in

1180-590: A gravity-operated tubular magazine in the stock. Another more well-known bolt-action repeating rifle was the Vetterli rifle of 1867 and the first bolt-action repeating rifle to use centerfire cartridges was the weapon designed by the Viennese gunsmith Ferdinand Fruwirth in 1871. Ultimately, the military turned to bolt-action rifles using a box magazine ; the first of its kind was the M1885 Remington–Lee , but

1298-424: A host of later bolt-action designs. These designs feature technical alterations to simplify production and technical and ergonomic improvements. The rifle had a two-stage trigger with considerable take up before the trigger engages the sear. This feature aids in preventing premature firing during stressful (combat) situations. Additionally, the two stage trigger allows for a much smoother trigger pull and release of

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1416-510: A locking surface of 56 mm (0.087 in ), whilst the third safety lug normally plays no part in locking the action to avoid asymmetric and hence unbalanced bolt thrust forces. The diameter of the M98 system receiver ring was also enlarged to 35.8 mm (1.41 in) diameter compared to previous Mauser "small ring" bolt-action designs that had 33 mm (1.30 in) diameter receiver rings for additional strength and safety. Accordingly,

1534-670: A maximum dispersion of no more than 4.1 MOA was allowed. The circular error probable method employed by the Germans and other European militaries cannot be converted and is not comparable to the common US methods (groupsize of 5 or 10 successive shots fired at 100 yards) for determining accuracy, or the British method of four out of five successive shots fired at 100 feet must hit a rectangle measuring 1 inch wide × 1.5 inches high (the equivalent of 4.54 MOA). According to pre World War I military instructions booklets new Gewehr 98 rifles firing

1652-627: A metallic cartridge's powder charge – were invented in the 1860s as well, the Berdan and the Boxer systems. The United States purchased 900 Greene rifles (an under hammer, percussion capped, single-shot bolt-action that used paper cartridges and an ogival bore rifling system) in 1857, which saw service at the Battle of Antietam in 1862, during the American Civil War ; however, this weapon

1770-486: A primer, cartridge rupture or detonation occur relieve high pressure gases into the magazine, and a gas shield on the bolt sleeve. Military M98 systems feature a secondary gas relief where gas is routed down the locking lug raceway to a thumb hole cutout exit on left side of receiver. Civilian M98 systems often lack the thumb hole cut out, as the ammunition feeding is generally simplified to single round feeding only. These safety features are designed to route escaping gas out of

1888-411: A protruding piece prevents the bolt handle from being lifted and thus prevents the bolt from being pulled back as the locking lugs are still engaged. When the safety is in the middle position, the sights are obstructed and the firing pin is still blocked and thus the trigger is still dead. However, the aforementioned protruding piece is absent, and the bolt can be cycled, allowing for loading and removal of

2006-594: A rearward "pull" to open the breech, extract the spent cartridge case, then reverse the whole process to chamber the next cartridge and relock the breech. There are four major turn bolt-action designs: the Remington M-700 , possibly the single most numerous produced rifle in history which is now also used as basis for most custom competition rifle actions, along with the Mauser system, the Lee–Enfield system, and

2124-478: A rotating bolt design. Johann Nicholas von Dreyse 's rifle of 1838 was accepted into service by Prussia in 1841, which was in turn developed into the Prussian Model in 1849. The design was a single shot breech-loader and had the now familiar arm sticking out from the side of the bolt, to turn and open the chamber . The entire reloading sequence was a more complex procedure than later designs, however, as

2242-509: A separate bolthead that rotates with the bolt and the bearing lugs, in contrast to the Mauser system where the bolthead is a non-removable part of the bolt. The Mosin–Nagant is also unlike the Lee–Enfield system where the bolthead remains stationary and the bolt body itself rotates. The Mosin–Nagant bolt is a somewhat complicated affair, but is extremely rugged and durable; like the Mauser, it uses

2360-430: A single lethal shot from a safe distance. Target shooters favour single-shot bolt actions for their simplicity of design, reliability, and accuracy. Bolt-action shotguns are considered a rarity among modern firearms but were formerly a commonly used action for .410 entry-level shotguns, as well as for low-cost 12- gauge shotguns. The M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (MASS) is the most recent and advanced example of

2478-423: A slight bolt retraction at the first stage of the bolt opening cycle, caused by the cammed surface on the rear receiver bridge, this results in a positive cartridge case extraction. The M98 bolt-action will cycle correctly, irrespective of the way the rifle is moved or positioned during the bolt cycling action or if the cartridge has been fired or not. Only if the bolt is not brought back far enough, sharply enough, in

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2596-539: A specific weapon's type of action. However, both straight pull and rotating bolt rifles are types of bolt-action rifles. Lever-action and pump-action weapons must still operate the bolt, but they are usually grouped separately from bolt-actions that are operated by a handle directly attached to a rotating bolt. Early bolt-action designs, such as the Dreyse needle gun and the Mauser Model 1871 , locked by dropping

2714-431: A staggered column at a stacking angle of 30 degrees, so viewed from the end, three cartridges touching each other form the points of an equilateral triangle. The magazine can be loaded with single rounds by pushing the cartridges into the receiver top opening or via stripper clips . Each stripper clip can hold 5 rounds to fill the magazine and is inserted into clip guides machined into the rear receiver bridge. After loading,

2832-783: A trigger derived from the Finnish Mantari, the Swing was commercially successful, with the basic design reused in the Paramount, RPA Quadlock and Millenium rifles. The Vetterli rifle was the first bolt-action repeating rifle introduced by an army. It was used by the Swiss army from 1869 to circa 1890. Modified Vetterlis were also used by the Italian Army . Another notable design is the Norwegian Krag–Jørgensen , which

2950-408: A turned-down bolt handle (unless it is low-profile as is common practice with modern hunting rifles), optics mounted low directly above the receiver will not leave enough space between the rifle and the telescopic sight body for unimpaired operation of the bolt or three-position safety catch lever. This ergonomic problem was solved by mounting the telescopic sight relatively high above the receiver. By

3068-542: Is a bolt-action rifle made by Mauser for the German Empire as its service rifle from 1898 to 1935. The Gewehr 98 action , using a 5-round stripper clip loaded with the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, successfully combined and improved several bolt-action engineering concepts which were soon adopted by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan. The Gewehr 98 replaced

3186-490: Is a manually operated, magazine-fed, controlled-feed bolt-action rifle, 1,250 mm (49 in) in length and 4.09 kg (9.0 lb) in weight. It has a 740 mm (29 in) long rifled barrel and carries 5 rounds of ammunition in an internal magazine . The Gewehr 98 has two sling swivels, open front sights, and a curved tangent-type rear sight, known as the Lange Visier . The controlled-feed bolt-action of

3304-449: Is fully ejected. For easier loading a crescent shaped thumb hole cutout is present at the left rear of the receiver top. The magazine can be unloaded by operating the bolt (the safety should, for safety reasons, be set to the middle position for this) or, in case of mechanical problems, by opening the magazine floorplate, which is flush with the stock, with the help of a cartridge tip. Alternatively cartridges can be loaded singly directly into

3422-525: Is that it is usually loaded by hand, one round at a time, although a box-like device was made that could drop five rounds into the magazine, all at once via a stripper or en bloc clip. This made it slower to reload than other designs which used stripper or en bloc clips. Another historically important bolt-action system was the Gras system, used on the French Mle 1874 Gras rifle , Mle 1886 Lebel rifle (which

3540-413: Is the straight-pull mechanism, where no upward handle-turning is needed and the bolt unlocks automatically when the handle is pulled rearwards by the user's hand. The first bolt-action rifle was produced in 1824 by Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse , following work on breechloading rifles that dated to the 18th century. Von Dreyse would perfect his Nadelgewehr (Needle Rifle) by 1836, and it was adopted by

3658-487: Is the most common bolt-action system in the world, being in use in nearly all modern hunting rifles and the majority of military bolt-action rifles until the middle of the 20th century. The Mauser system is stronger than that of the Lee–Enfield system, due to two locking lugs just behind the bolt head, which make it better able to handle higher-pressure cartridges (i.e. magnum cartridges ). The 9.3×64mm Brenneke and 8×68mm S magnum rifle cartridge "families" were designed for

Mauser Standardmodell - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-529: The Biathlon World Cup . The first company to make the straight pull action for .22 caliber was J. G. Anschütz ; Peter Fortner junior designed the "Fortner Action", which was incorporated into the Anschütz 1827 Fortner . The Fortner action is specifically the straight-pull ball bearing lock action, which features spring-loaded ball bearings on the side of the bolt which lock into a groove inside

3894-545: The Boxer Rebellion and the Herero Wars in the preceding years. As with all contemporary bolt-action rifles, it was a powerful and accurate rifle with long range that was poorly suited for the close quarter fighting of trench warfare . The considerable length of the rifle and the minimum sight setting of 400 meters (far in excess of the typical range in trench battles) were particular handicaps. Its successor,

4012-509: The German Army had 2,273,080 Mauser 98-rifles of all types; an additional 7,000,000 were produced during the war. The 8 mm M/88 cartridge which was introduced in 1888 and loaded with an 8.08 mm (.318 in) 14.6 g (226 gr) round-nose bullet was replaced on 3 April 1903, by the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone (S ball cartridge) which was loaded with a new 8.20 mm (.323 in) 9.9 g (154 gr) spitzer bullet . The ammunition conversion

4130-563: The Mosin–Nagant system. All four differ in the way the bolt fits into the receiver, how the bolt rotates as it is being operated, the number of locking lugs holding the bolt in place as the gun is fired, and whether the action is cocked on the opening of the bolt (as in both the Mauser system and the Mosin Nagant system) or the closing of the bolt (as in the Lee–Enfield system). The vast majority of modern bolt-action rifles were made for

4248-545: The Ottoman Mauser Model 1893 variant being the exception. Though the production of the M98 system for the German military ceased at the end of World War II in 1945, the production of new Mauser M 98 and Mauser M 98 Magnum rifles for civil users has continued using both repurposed military systems as well as newly made systems from several manufacturers worldwide. New systems were being manufactured not only by

4366-584: The Prussian Army in 1841. While it saw limited service in the German Revolutions of 1848 , it was not fielded widely until the 1864 victory over Denmark . In 1850 a metallic centerfire bolt-action breechloader was patented by Béatus Beringer. In 1852 another metallic centerfire bolt-action breechloader was patented by Joseph Needham and improved upon in 1862 with another patent. Two different systems for primers –the mechanism to ignite

4484-873: The rate of fire of the gun. In 1993, the German Blaser company introduced the Blaser R93 , a new straight pull action where locking is achieved by a series of concentric "claws" that protrude/retract from the bolthead, a design that is referred to as Radialbundverschluss ("radial connection"). As of 2017 the Rifle Shooter magazine listed its successor Blaser R8 as one of the three most popular straight pull rifles together with Merkel Helix and Browning Maral. Some other notable modern straight pull rifles are made by Beretta , C.G. Haenel , Chapuis , Heym , Lynx , Rößler , Savage Arms , Strasser, and Steel Action. Most straight bolt rifles have

4602-424: The striker within the bolt (either on opening or closing of the bolt depending on the gun design) and engages it against the sear . When the bolt is returned to the forward position, a new cartridge (if available) is pushed out of the magazine and into the barrel chamber , and finally the breech is closed tight by rotating the handle down so the bolt head relocks on the receiver. A less common bolt-action type

4720-859: The 1930s. The rifle was also ordered by Honduras . The Standardmodell saw service in China. In the Chinese National Armament Standards Conference of 1932 it was decided that the Standardmodell was to be the standard-issue rifle of the National Revolutionary Army . Imports from Germany began in 1934, and production in Chinese arsenals began in 1935. The first 10,000 rifles were bought for the Chinese Tax Police. The rifle

4838-412: The 20th century. A drawback of the M98 system is that it cannot be cheaply mass-produced very easily. Some other bolt-action designs (e.g. the Lee–Enfield and Pattern 1914 Enfield / M1917 Enfield ) offer trained operators a faster rate of fire as the ergonomic relation between the bolt handle and trigger is more favorable and they can be cycled without loss of sight picture. The M98 system consists of

Mauser Standardmodell - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-636: The German post office. The rifle was named Gewehr für Deutsches Reichspost (rifle of the German Post Office). Part of this production was actually purchased by Nazi organisations or by the Reichswehr . The Wehrmacht , through requisitions, might have used it during World War II . Bolivia purchased the Standardmodell in the 1920s and used it in combat during the Chaco War . Its enemy, Paraguay , fielded Standardmodell rifles bought during

5074-464: The Gewehr 98 and was also lighter at 3.42  kg (7.5  lb ) empty. Experiments in 1904 with Karabiner 98A carbines rechambered for the S Patrone cartridge showed excessive recoil and muzzle flash problems, leading to the suspension of production in 1905. The Gewehr Prüfungs Kommission (GPK) started developing a new carbine with a longer barrel and a different stock to address these problems; by

5192-430: The Gewehr 98 is a distinct feature and is regarded as one of the major bolt-action system designs. The controlled-feed Mauser M98 bolt-action system is based on previous 19th-century Mauser bolt-action rifle designs and is a simple, strong, safe, and well-thought-out design intended to negate as many failure modes as possible and which inspired other military and hunting/sporting rifle designs that became available during

5310-516: The Gewehr 98 were blued , a process in which steel is partially protected against rust by a layer of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ). Such a thin black oxide layer provides minimal protection against rust or corrosion, unless also treated with a water-displacing oil to reduce wetting and galvanic corrosion . From 1905 until 1945 the German military used Ballistol intended for cleaning, lubricating, and protecting metallic, wooden and leather firearms parts. A three-position flag style safety attached at

5428-654: The IJ Army arsenals to supply the Navy with domestic rifles): 8,000 in 1938, 20,000 in 1939 and an unclear number in 1940. The Ethiopian Empire bought 25,000 Model 1924 and Model 1933 rifles and carbines, and fielded them during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War . The Buenos Aires Police also bought Mauser Model 1933 in rifles and carbines configuration, the latter with a 550 millimetres (21.65 in) barrel. The Argentinean rifles and carbines differ from

5546-530: The Karabiner 98a was issued to light infantry, cavalry, mountain troops, and later to assault troops . It was liked because it was lighter and shorter than the Gewehr 98, and was thus better suited for use in trench assaults. The Karabiner 98b was not technically another " carbine " variant, but rather was a rifle designated as a carbine to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which only allowed Germany to produce carbines. The Karabiner Model 1898b

5664-460: The Karabiner 98k, Germany's standard service rifle during WW2, each rifle having to place 5 out of 5 shots within a 12 cm circle at 100 m in order to be accepted for service. For reference a 1 minute of arc (MOA) circle at 100 m (109 yd) has a diameter of 2.9 cm (1.1 in), therefore 6 cm (2.4 in) at 100 m (109 yd) equals 2.06 MOA, and 12 cm (4.7 in) at 100 m (109 yd) equals 4.12 MOA. In short

5782-476: The Karabiner 98k, would go on to be the standard rifle of the German infantry during World War II. Some Gewehr 98s also saw service in World War II, though many of these older rifles were converted to either 98b or 98k specifications. For determining accuracy the German military fired a group of shots into a target and used statistics to calculate a hit probability. For this they drew a circle that disregards

5900-644: The M 98 magnum action. Bolt-action Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle , most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm (as most users are right-handed ). The majority of bolt-action firearms are rifles , but there are also some variants of shotguns and handguns that are bolt-action. Bolt-action firearms are generally repeating firearms , but many single-shot designs are available particularly in shooting sports where single-shot firearms are mandated, such as most Olympic and ISSF rifle disciplines. From

6018-531: The M10 and No 4 Mk IV rifles manufactured by Australian International Arms. Rifle Factory Ishapore of India manufactures a hunting and sporting rifle chambered in .315 which also employs the Lee Enfield action. The Mosin–Nagant action, created in 1891 and named after the designers Sergei Mosin and Léon Nagant , differs significantly from the Mauser and Lee–Enfield bolt-action designs. The Mosin–Nagant design has

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6136-753: The Mauser GmbH in Germany, but also by FN in Belgium, Zbrojovka Brno in Czechoslovakia and Zastava in Yugoslavia. The Mauser-Werke GmbH stopped the production of the M98 system in the 1960's and replaced it with the Model 66, a new construction. However, after going through several ownership changes and a name change, the reconstituted Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH resumed the production of M98 rifles in 1999 according to original drawings and in style of

6254-529: The Mauser M 98 bolt-action. A novel safety feature was the introduction of a third locking lug present at the rear of the bolt that normally did not lock the bolt, since it would introduce asymmetrical locking forces. The Mauser system features "cock on opening", meaning the upward rotation of the bolt when the rifle is opened cocks the action. A drawback of the Mauser M 98 system is that it cannot be cheaply mass-produced very easily. Many Mauser M 98-inspired derivatives feature technical alterations, such as omitting

6372-550: The United Kingdom as a purpose-built target rifle for use in NRA competition. Fullbore target rifle competitions historically used accurised examples of the prevailing service rifle, but it was felt these had reached the end of their development potential. The Swing bolt featured four lugs on the bolt head, at 45 degrees when closed - splitting the difference between the vertically locking Mauser and horizontally locking Enfield bolt designs. Supplied with Schultz & Larsen barrels and

6490-507: The acceptance accuracy requirements for various US service rifles at 100 yd (91.4 m) as well as the British Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I rifle at 100 ft (30.5 m). For reference a 1 MOA circle at 100 yd (91 m) has a diameter of 1.047 in (2.7 cm), 3 in (7.6 cm) at 100 yd (91 m) equals 2.9 MOA, and 5 in (12.7 cm) at 100 yd (91 m) equals 4.8 MOA In summary

6608-614: The accuracy standards of the Gewehr 98 and most other service rifles used in World War I and later were similar. The Mauser M 98 was a civilian version adapted for hunting and other sporting purposes of the Gewehr 98 service rifle. Vaguely similar to the latter rifle in appearance, the M 98 was offered in many different hunting chamberings, not like the original service rifle. The Mauser M 98 series offered several features and factory options, that are also typical for sporterised ex-service rifles, ranging from various technical departures from

6726-407: The barrel shank was enlarged to 28 mm (1.10 in) diameter with 15.88 mm (0.625 in) of threaded area at 12 threads per inch compared to previous Mauser "small shank" bolt-action designs that had 24.9 mm (0.98 in) diameter with 16.38 mm (0.645 in) of threaded area at 12 threads per inch barrel shanks for additional strength. The bolt handle is permanently attached to

6844-404: The basic Mauser service rifle it was based on to luxury wood grades, (gold) inlays, engravings and surface treatments like color case hardening. Some of the available options were originally developed and introduced by John Rigby & Co. on Rigby Mauser hunting rifles. John Rigby & Co. commissioned Mauser to develop the M 98 magnum action in the early 1900s. It was designed to function with

6962-472: The bolt ahead of the lugs may flex on firing which, although a safety advantage with repeated firing over time, this may lead to a stretched receiver and excessive headspacing, which if perceived as a problem can be remedied by changing the removable bolt head to a larger sized one (the Lee–Enfield bolt manufacture involved a mass production method where at final assembly the bolt body was fitted with one of three standard size bolt heads for correct headspace ). In

7080-446: The bolt and eventual debris away from the operator's face. The M98 bolt group can be easily removed from the receiver simply by rotating the safety lever to the 12 o'clock position and pulling out the bolt stop lever, located at the rear left wall of the receiver, and then operate the action and continue rearward bolt travel past the bolt stop. The metal disc inlay in the stock functions as a bolt disassembly tool. Many metal parts of

7198-415: The bolt and, on the Gewehr 98, is straight and protrudes out for optimal leverage. Another distinctive feature of the M98 system is the controlled-feed mechanism, consisting of a large, non-rotating claw extractor that engages the cartridge case rim as soon as the round leaves the magazine and firmly holds the cartridge case until the round is ejected by the ejector, mounted inside the receiver. Combined with

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7316-462: The bolt cocks the action. This enables a shooter to keep eyes on sights and targets uninterrupted when cycling the bolt. The ability of the bolt to flex between the lugs and chamber, which also keeps the shooter safer in case of a catastrophic chamber overpressure failure. The disadvantage of the rearward-located bolt lugs is that a larger part of the receiver, between chamber and lugs, must be made stronger and heavier to resist stretching forces. Also,

7434-437: The bolt for cleaning. The left most position is the fire position and a cut out permits movement of the firing pin and the bolt can be cycled. The safety catch lever is quite large, making it easy to operate, but posing a problem for mounting telescopic sights low above the receiver whilst retaining good operability of the safety catch lever. The internal magazine of the M98 system consists of an integral box machined to match

7552-468: The bolt handle or bolt guide rib into a notch in the receiver , this method is still used in .22 rimfire rifles. The most common locking method is a rotating bolt with two lugs on the bolt head, which was used by the Lebel Model 1886 rifle , Model 1888 Commission Rifle , Mauser M 98 , Mosin–Nagant and most bolt-action rifles. The Lee–Enfield has a lug and guide rib, which lock on the rear end of

7670-407: The bolt in addition to the linear motions to perform chambering and primary extraction . The bolt locking of a straight pull action is achieved differently without needing manual inputs, therefore the entire operating cycle needs the shooter to perform only two movements (pull back and push forward), instead of four movements (rotate up, pull back, push forward, and rotate down), this greatly increases

7788-432: The bolt in place. The operation can be done via a rotating bolt , a lever, cam action, a locking piece, or a number of systems. Straight pull designs have seen a great deal of use, though manual turn bolt designs are what is most commonly thought of in reference to a bolt-action design due to the type ubiquity. As a result, the bolt-action term is often reserved for more modern types of rotating bolt designs when talking about

7906-409: The bolt into the receiver. The bolt knob is the part of the bolt handle that the user grips when loading and reloading the firearm and thereby acts as a cocking handle . On many older firearms, the bolt knob is welded to the bolt handle, and as such becoming an integral part of the bolt handle itself. On many newer firearms, the bolt knob is instead threaded onto the handle, allowing the user to change

8024-420: The bolt's housing. With the new design came a new dry fire method; instead of the bolt being turned up slightly, the action is locked back to catch the firing pin. The action was later used in the centre-fire Heym SR 30 . Typically, the bolt consists of a tube of metal inside of which the firing mechanism is housed, and which has at the front or rear of the tube several metal knobs, or "lugs", which serve to lock

8142-407: The cartridge for which the rifle was being chambered, with a detachable floorplate, that can hold up to 5 rifle cartridges. The German military M98 system internal magazine boxes feature an internal magazine length of 84 mm (3.31 in) to store 82 mm (3.23 in) maximal overall length 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges without dimensional issues. The cartridges are stored in the magazine box in

8260-488: The chamber, as is standard on military rifles of the period, since the extractor is spring-loaded and designed so the extractor claw "pops" over the rim of the cartridge on closing. The Gewehr 98 had no magazine cut-off mechanism, which when engaged permits the feeding and extraction of single cartridges only while keeping the cartridges in the magazine in reserve. Like the M98 system Mauser magazine fed bolt-action systems were generally not manufactured with magazine cut-offs,

8378-477: The commercial market post-war, numbering in the tens of millions by Remington in the unique, and most accurate Model 700, two of the others use the Mauser system, with other designs such as the Lee–Enfield system and the Mosin Nagant system, of only limited usage. The Mauser bolt-action system is based on 19th-century Mauser bolt-action rifle designs and was finalized in the Gewehr 98 designed by Paul Mauser . It

8496-601: The design by the Gewehr-Prüfungskommission and adaptation in 1903 of the dimensionally redesigned 7.92×57mm Mauser chambering. Besides the chambering, the bore (designated as "S-bore") was also dimensionally redesigned. The 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone (S ball cartridge) was loaded with a lighter 9.9 grams (153 gr), pointed Spitzgeschoß (spitzer bullet) of 8.2 mm (0.323 in) diameter and more powerful double-base (based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin ) smokeless powder . With

8614-413: The design's inherent potential for superior accuracy and precision , as well as ruggedness and reliability compared to self-loading designs. Most bolt-action firearms use a rotating bolt operation, where the handle must first be rotated upward to unlock the bolt from the receiver , then pulled back to open the breech and allowing any spent cartridge case to be extracted and ejected. This also cocks

8732-632: The earlier Gewehr 1888 as the main German service rifle. It first saw combat in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and was the main German infantry service rifle of World War I . The Gewehr 98 saw further military use by the Ottoman Empire and Nationalist Spain . It was eventually replaced by the Karabiner 98k , a carbine version using the same design, for the Wehrmacht under Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. The Gewehr 98

8850-421: The empty clip is ejected when the bolt is closed. The clip is ejected because it has two small protrusions on either side, which are the only points of contact with the clip guide. These protrusions rest at the top of the guide, while the lower part of the clip is narrower than the guide itself. As the bolt moves forward, it pushes the bottom of the clip out, causing the clip to rotate around the protrusions until it

8968-485: The end of World War I, 18,421 Gewehr 98 rifles were converted and equipped with telescopic sights and issued to German snipers . Not to be confused with the later Karabiner 98k or the earlier Karabiner 98A (uppercase A), the Karabiner 98a (Kar 98a) was a shorter version of the Gewehr 98 originally made for cavalry and support unit use. The Karabiner 98A, adopted in February 1902, had a considerably shorter barrel than

9086-451: The existing bolt handle. These are often made of either rubber or plastic. Most bolt-action firearms are fed by an internal magazine loaded by hand, by en bloc , or by stripper clips , though a number of designs have had a detachable magazine or independent magazine, or even no magazine at all, thus requiring that each round be independently loaded. Generally, the magazine capacity is limited to between two and ten rounds, as it can permit

9204-414: The faster rate of fire that all semi-automatic rifle alternatives allow. There are, however, many semi-automatic rifle designs used especially in the designated marksman role. Today, bolt-action rifles are chiefly used as hunting and target rifles. These rifles can be used to hunt anything from vermin to deer and to large game , especially big game caught on a safari , as they are adequate to deliver

9322-415: The firing pin needs to travel was decreased to reduce and hence improve lock time – the amount of time between initiating the firing sequence by releasing the trigger and the firing pin striking the primer that ignites the propellant contained in the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge . The M98 action features two large oval shaped gas relief holes on the bottom of the bolt, which when catastrophic failures like

9440-423: The firing pin. Originally the Gewehr 98 sight line had an open post type front sight, and a curved tangent-type rear sight with a V-shaped rear notch, known as the Lange Visier (Lange sight after its designer Lieutenant Colonel Lange). The rear sight was graduated for 1888 pattern M/88 cartridges from 200 m (220 yd) to 2,000 m (2,200 yd) in 100 m (110 yd) increments. The M/88 cartridge

9558-423: The first to be generally adopted was the British 1888 Lee–Metford . World War I marked the height of the bolt-action rifle's use, with all of the nations in that war fielding troops armed with various bolt-action designs. During the buildup prior to World War II , the military bolt-action rifle began to be superseded by semi-automatic rifles and later fully automatic rifles , though bolt-action rifles remained

9676-581: The first troop issues of the Gewehr 98 rifles were made to the East Asian Expeditionary Force, the Imperial German Navy , and three premier Prussian army corps. The first combat use of the Gewehr 98 was during the Boxer Rebellion (1898–1901). In 1904, contracts were placed with Waffenfabrik Mauser for 290,000 rifles and Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) for 210,000 rifles. At the outbreak of WWI in 1914,

9794-399: The high point of aim using the normal sighting method at sub-400 m (440 yd) ranges. The Gewehr 98 oil finished rifle stock features a semi-pistol grip. A top handguard was standard on all rifles and extended from the front of the rear sight base terminating just ahead of the bottom barrel band. A steel cross bolt was mounted to distribute the forces and hence the effects of recoil on

9912-445: The hits on the outer part of the target and only count half of the hits (50% or R 50 ) on the inner part of the circle. They then used both the vertical and horizontal measurements of the reduced shotgroup to measure accuracy. When the R 50 results are doubled the hit probability increases to 93.7%. To pass the German military minimum accuracy standard a Gewehr 98 had to perform as follows. These requirements were carried over for

10030-516: The improved ballistic coefficient of the new spitzer bullet, the 1903 pattern cartridge had an improved maximum effective range and a flatter trajectory, and was therefore less critical of range estimation compared to the M/88 cartridge. With the introduction of the S Patrone the rear sight graduation was changed accordingly and could be regulated from 400 m (440 yd) to 2,000 m (2,200 yd) in 100 m (110 yd) increments. While

10148-457: The interwar-period Mauser hunting rifles. These rifles retail (2009) for approximately EUR 6,800 for the basic Mauser M 98 version, but the addition of (luxury) options can make these rifles much more expensive. Several other gun manufacturers and custom gun builders also currently produce new M98 system clones or M98 inspired bolt-action hunting/sporting rifles. Desirable features of the M98 system, like its controlled feeding, were carried over to

10266-432: The large sized cartridges normally used to hunt Big Five game and other dangerous game species. For this specialized type of hunting, where absolute reliability of the rifle under adverse conditions is very important, the controlled-feed M 98 system remains the standard by which other action designs are judged. In 1911 John Rigby & Co. introduced the .416 Rigby cartridge that due to its dimensions could only be used in

10384-711: The late 19th century all the way through both World Wars , bolt-action rifles were the standard infantry service weapons for most of the world's military forces, with the exception of the United States Armed Forces , who used the M1 Garand Semi-automatic rifle . In modern military and law enforcement after the Second World War, bolt-action firearms have been largely replaced by semi-automatic and selective-fire firearms, and have remained only as sniper rifles due to

10502-736: The left to allow stripper clip loading of the rifle and the sights had a bullet drop compensation sight drum out to 1,000 m range in 100 m increments. The bolt handle had to be turned-down from its original straight design. In the stock, a recess had to be made to accommodate the turned-down bolt handle modification. The wartime Scharfschützen-Gewehr 98 program intended to regularize equipment issued for snipers but failed. The telescopic sights used consisted of 2.5×, 3× and 4× models, made by manufactures like Görtz, Gérard, Oigee, Zeiss , Hensoldt, Voigtländer and various civilian models from manufacturers like Bock, Busch and Füss. Several different mountings produced by various manufacturers were used. Even with

10620-588: The lighter WW1 154 grain S Patrone ball ammunition on average had 34 cm (13.4 in) (3.9 MOA) vertical dispersion and 28 cm (11.0 in) (3.2 MOA) horizontal dispersion at 300 m (328 yd). New Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (small receiver ring, shorter version of the Gewehr 98) firing S Patrone ball ammunition on average had 43 cm (16.9 in) (4.9 MOA) vertical dispersion and 34 cm (13.4 in) (3.9 MOA) horizontal dispersion at 300 m (328 yd). Individual weapons can shoot better or worse than these averages. For comparison

10738-468: The magazine to be flush with the bottom of the rifle, reduce the weight, or prevent mud and dirt from entering. A number of bolt-actions have a tube magazine , such as along the length of the barrel. In weapons other than large rifles, such as pistols and cannons , there were some manually operated breech-loading weapons. However, the Dreyse Needle fire rifle was the first breech loader to use

10856-575: The metallic cartridge bolt-action Gras rifle in 1874. European armies continued to develop bolt-action rifles through the latter half of the 19th century, first adopting tubular magazines as on the Kropatschek rifle and the Lebel rifle . The first bolt-action repeating rifle was patented in Britain in 1855 by an unidentified inventor through the patent agent Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford using

10974-468: The mid-summer of 1907, the longer barrelled prototype carbines showed more acceptable recoil and muzzle blast behavior with the S Patrone . In January 1908, the Karabiner Model 1898 AZ (Kar 98AZ) was accepted for service. The new features were a small diameter (33 mm (1.30 in)) receiver ring, tapered rather than stepped barrel contour, an L-shaped stacking rod attached to the stock near

11092-436: The modified sight line for 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone IS cartridges was calibrated for a minimum zero distance of 400 m (440 yd) and can result in hitting high when using the open post front sight and V-shaped rear notch at close range, the pillars formed by the tracks of the rear sight allow closer targets to be quickly bracketed between the "goalposts", a sighting method that automatically compensates for

11210-498: The muzzle, and a turned-down bolt handle and recess in the stock in the same fashion as the Gewehr 98s sniper variant. The "AZ" stands for "Aufpflanz-und-Zusammensetzvorrichtung", meaning "with bayonet attachment point and stacking rod". At the end of World War I about 1,500,000 short rifles had been produced. In 1923, the AZ was renamed to 'a', as Germany sought to distinguish the model from the newer 'b' and 'k' models. During World War I,

11328-845: The original bolt knob for an aftermarket one, either for aesthetical reasons, achieving better grip or similar. The type of threads used vary between firearms. European firearms often use either M6 1 or M8 1.25 threads, for example M6 is used on the SIG Sauer 200 STR , Blaser R93 , Blaser R8 , CZ 457 and Bergara rifles, while M8 is used on the Sako TRG and SIG Sauer 404 . Many American firearms instead use 1/4" 28 TPI (6.35 0.907 mm) or 5/16" 24 TPI (7.9375 1.058 mm) threads. Some other thread types are also used, for example, No. 10 32 TPI (4.826 0.794 mm) as used by Mausingfield. There also exists aftermarket slip-on bolt handle covers which are mounted without having to remove

11446-683: The other Standardmodells by having an extended arm on the bolt release. Both before and after the Spanish coup of July 1936 , Spain bought Standardmodell rifles and carbines. The German Condor Legion fighting during the Spanish Civil War also used this rifle. Some of the Spanish rifles were rebarreled for the Spanish 7×57mm round. At the same time, Portugal ordered Model 1933s to modernized its military forces. Gewehr 98 The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98 , Gew 98 , or M98 )

11564-473: The primary weapon of most of the combatants for the duration of the war; and many American units, especially the USMC , used bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifles until sufficient numbers of M1 Garand rifles were made available. The bolt-action is still common today among many sniper rifles , as the design has the potential for superior accuracy, reliability, reduced weight, and the ability to control loading over

11682-411: The rear of the bolt which operating lever can be flicked from right (safety on, bolt locked) to middle (safety on, bolt can be opened for reloading), to left (ready to fire), but only when the rifle is cocked; otherwise, the safety will not move. In the right most position, the safety blocks the firing pin and when the trigger is pulled, the firing pin will not be released due to the safety. Additionally,

11800-424: The spring of 1915, it was decided to fit 15,000 Gewehr 98 rifles, selected for being exceptionally accurate during factory tests, with telescopic sights for sniper use, though the Gewehr 98 was not designed for use with aiming optics. The Scharfschützen-Gewehr 98 (sniper rifle 98) was officially adapted in 1915 featuring for the period advanced 4× Görtz or Zeiss telescopic sights. These sights were mounted offset to

11918-410: The standard iron sight line could be calibrated for very long ranges. Military doctrine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries considered firing at distant area targets, where an officer would call out the range and the soldiers shot in volley, normal. German government driven efforts to improve the performance of the military M/88 ammunition and the service arms in which the M/88 was used resulted in

12036-452: The stock bedding, reducing the chance to split the stock. The stock featured a quick detachable sling swivel on the underside of the butt stock, a top swivel located underneath the bottom barrel band, and a parade hook mounted on the underside of the top H-style barrel band. The prewar stocks were produced from walnut wood and were aged for an average of three years to allow the wood to stabilize. Beginning in 1917, walnut shortages necessitated

12154-597: The third locking lug and feature a "cock on closing" operation. The Lee–Enfield bolt-action system was introduced in 1889 with the Lee–Metford and later Lee–Enfield rifles (the bolt system is named after the designer James Paris Lee and the barrel rifling after the Royal Small Arms Factory in the London Borough of Enfield ), and is a "cock on closing" action in which the forward thrust of

12272-496: The third safety locking lug, to simplify production. The controlled-feed on the Mauser M 98 bolt-action system is simple, strong, safe, and well-thought-out design that has inspired other military and sporting rifle designs that became available during the 20th century, including the: Versions of the Mauser action designed prior to the Gewehr 98's introduction, such as that of the Swedish Mauser rifles and carbines, lack

12390-418: The trajectory of the standard 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone spitzer bullet or the heavier s.S. Patrone boat tail spitzer bullet originally designed for aerial combat and long range machine gun use. The first version of the gun was designed in 1924. It used the straight bolt handle and the bottom-mounted sling of the Gewehr 98 . The rifle entered full-scale production in 1933 with a turned-down bolt and

12508-429: The use of beech wood . The late-war production beech stocks were less durable and heavier than the original walnut stocks. The rifle was issued with a leather carrying sling . During the duration of World War I, due to a shortage of leather, slings were produced out of canvas . The rifle was able to fire rifle grenades . Various attachable rifle grenade launcher models were designed during World War I. The Gewehr 98

12626-406: The years leading up to World War II, the Lee–Enfield bolt system was used in numerous commercial sporting and hunting rifles manufactured by such firms in the United Kingdom as BSA, LSA, and Parker–Hale, as well as by SAF Lithgow in Australia. Vast numbers of ex-military SMLE Mk III rifles were sporterised post WWII to create cheap, effective hunting rifles, and the Lee–Enfield bolt system is used in

12744-496: Was an internal design from the army but failed through an impractical design. In the interim decade, Mauser rifles became recognized as the world standard, and the German Army became outclassed by a German-made product in the hands of others. The German Gewehr-Prüfungskommission ( G.P.K. ) (rifle testing commission) adopted the Gewehr 98 on 5 April 1898. The action was derived from the experimental Gewehr 96 rifle. In 1901,

12862-408: Was designed to be used with a bayonet . For this the rifle had a H-style top barrel-band with a 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long bayonet lug. The long bearing surface on the Gewehr 98 bayonet lug eliminated the addition of a muzzle ring. The advantage of this solution lies in the fact that muzzle rings can interfere with barrel oscillation which can significantly impede the accuracy of a rifle. The rifle

12980-746: Was first produced under the name "Type 24 Rifle", but was soon renamed to the " Chiang Kai-Shek rifle " after the Generalissimo . It was used during the Chinese Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War . The Imperial Japanese Navy used the Standardmodell in the form of Chiang Kai-Shek rifles captured in China. The Japanese military procured several rifles from the producer in three contracts (many ended up in IJN, perhaps due to ammo supply difficulties or to unwillingness of

13098-421: Was indicated by a small S stamped above the chamber and on the barrel at the back of the rear sight base. This was done since the 1888 pattern M/88 cartridge and 1903 S-bore pattern cartridge are two different non-interchangeable chamberings. Since the new IS cartridge had a flatter trajectory the Lange Visier rear sight had to be changed with an "S"-adapted Lange Visier . The Gewehr 98 or model 98 (M98) rifle

13216-404: Was introduced in 1923. The Karabiner 98b had a tangent rear sight as opposed to the original "Lange" ramp sight, a wider lower band with side sling attachment bar, a side butt attachment point for a sling, and a turned down bolt handle. It was otherwise merely a modified form of the Gewehr 98, from which the Karabiner 98k was derived. The Gewehr 98 saw service primarily in World War I, as well as

13334-399: Was introduced into German military service in 1898, replacing the Gewehr 1888 . The bolt-action design was the latest refinement of the 1895 design patented by Paul Mauser on 9 September 1895. Mauser was already selling the similar Mauser Model 1895 to many other countries and had supplied less advanced Mauser rifles to the German Army from 1871 to 1888. The 1888 replacement for the Mauser

13452-470: Was loaded with full metal jacket projectiles of the round-nosed type. The standard open iron sight aiming elements consisted of relatively coarse rugged aiming elements making the sightline suitable for rough handling and low light usage, but less suitable for aiming at small point targets. The tracks of the rear sight obstructed the view to the sides during aiming. The sights were designed with distant area fire targets like charging horseman units in mind, so

13570-551: Was originally issued with the Seitengewehr 98 pattern bayonet. This épée style bayonet has a 500 mm (19.7 in) long quillback blade. By the end of 1905, this bayonet began to be replaced with the more robust and practical Seitengewehr 98/05 , with a 370 mm (14.6 in) blade. It was called the "Butcher Blade" by the Allies due to its distinctive shape, and was initially intended for artillerymen and engineers as

13688-467: Was the first to introduce ammunition loaded with nitrocellulose-based smokeless powder ), and the Berthier series of rifles. Straight-pull bolt-actions differ from conventional turn-pull bolt-action mechanisms in that the bolt can be cycled back and forward without rotating the handle and thus only a linear motion is required, as opposed to a traditional bolt-action, where the user has to axially rotate

13806-595: Was ultimately considered too complicated for issue to soldiers and was supplanted by the Springfield Model 1861 , a conventional muzzle loading rifle. During the American Civil War, the bolt-action Palmer carbine was patented in 1863, and by 1865, 1000 were purchased for use as cavalry weapons. The French Army adopted its first bolt-action rifle, the Chassepot rifle , in 1866 and followed with

13924-644: Was used by Norway, Denmark, and briefly the United States. It is unusual among bolt-action rifles in that is loaded through a gate on the right side of the receiver, and thus can be reloaded without opening the bolt. The Norwegian and Danish versions of the Krag have two locking lugs, while the American version has only one. In all versions, the bolt handle itself serves as an emergency locking lug. The Krag's major disadvantage compared to other bolt-action designs

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